Podcast appearances and mentions of debbie weil

Debbie Weil talks to Bonnie Lee Black, an author and blogger who retired in her 70s to affordable and magical San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.SMA, as it's called, has become a haven for expat retirees, especially single older women. It has been named (three times in a row) the Best Small City in the World by Condé Nast Traveler.  And it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Debbie and her husband Sam spent three weeks there in February '23  and were charmed by the Spanish colonial architecture, the cobblestone streets, the tiny shops, the rooftop restaurants, the perfect weather, and of course the pink wedding cake cathedral, referred to as the Parroquia, in the main square.While they are not seriously considering retiring there, Debbie was intrigued by Bonnie's blog and her experiences as a permanente (permanent resident). Bonnie's blog post titled Watch Your Step (about the dangerously uneven sidewalks) caught Debbie's attention so she reached out to invite her onto the podcast. They subsequently became friends.Bonnie has been a professional writer and editor for more than 40 years (she's the author of five books), was an  educator in the U.S., and now writes a popular weekly blog, the WOW Factor.Bonnie gives Debbie an insider's perspective on living full time in this beautiful place. First among the many pros is the low cost of living, making SMA affordable for single women living on a fixed income. And then there's the weather (yes, hard to overstate how perfect it is), the absence of ageism, the kindness of the people, the endless number of volunteer opportunities and classes to take and more. And she shares the one con for older retirees that Debbie noticed immediately upon arriving: those sidewalks.Bonnie also interviewed Debbie  as part of her series on WOW (wise older women). Mentioned in this episode or useful:Bonnie Lee Black bioBonnie's booksThe WOW Factor (Bonnie's blog) San Miguel de AllendeBest Small City in the World (2022)Daily Newsletter: San Miguel FAQAtencion - San Miguel de Allende, bilingual newspaperSan Miguel de Allende Mexico | CN Traveller Recommended books about SMAThis Is Mexico: Tales of Culture and Other Complications by Carol Merchasin (She Writes Press, 2015)On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel by Tony Cohan (Broadway Books, January 2001)Retiring in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Is it for you? (TaoMexico) Selected WOW Factor blog posts:On the uneven sidewalks in SMABonnie's interview with Debbie Weil on PurposeOn understanding Mexican cultureOn learning Spanish: Beginners Get the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDERSubscribe to Debbie's newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get her 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners.   Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie brings her producer and friend Julie-Roxane back on the podcast to talk about decision-making.When you plan ahead 10, 15 or 20 years how do you make the right decisions knowing the future is always uncertain?Julie-Roxane, 30, and Debbie, 71, discuss the challenges of decision-making, whether it's deciding to have children or planning for old age.They talk about the concept of maximiser vs. satisficer, two different approaches to decision-making. (Can you guess which is more effective?) They end by reversing roles and giving each other advice about big upcoming decisions. Tune in for a rich intergenerational conversation. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Successfully Navigating Your Parents' Senior Years: Critical Information to Maximize Their Independence and Make Sure They Get the Care They Need by Star Bradbury (BenBella Books, March 21, 2023)A Guide to Dealing with Uncertainty About What Path to Take by Leo BabautaMaximisers vs. Satisfyers: Who Makes Better Decisions? (PsychologistWorld.com)The Advantage of Fewer Choices by Debbie Weil for the Gap Year After Sixty blog  Previous episodes with Debbie and Julie-Roxane:S4-EP14: Debbie and Julie-Roxane on Messy Conversations About Old Age and DyingS4-EP5: Debbie and Julie-Roxane Dissect How Reinventing Your Life Really WorksS2-EP14: Julie-Roxane and Alasdair on Living the Dream Get the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDER:Subscribe to Debbie's newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get her 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners.  Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyFormerly, Next For Me (in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie brings her favorite recurring guest, husband Sam Harrington, back onto the show. This is a special episode because they are celebrating 50 years of marriage today, Feb. 3, 2023.They were married a half century ago, in 1973. It was truly another age,  pre-Internet and so much more. They were both 21. That's an astonishing fact: they were obviously too young to get married. But they did and the marriage has lasted. They acknowledge how lucky they are and how much they have to be grateful for.  They have six grandchildren, they like hanging out together, and Sam is still teasing Debbie and making her laugh.They talk about the trivial and the existential and how it's okay to feel grief when they look back at their youthful passion and how young and beautiful they were. And how now is a time to think about their mortality and to try and enjoy each present moment.Things do change in a long marriage, as you'll hear. One thing doesn't, however.  As always, Debbie and Sam disagree about a lot of things. "But that's all good..." A phrase they've adopted after watching W1A, a very funny British TV series starring Hugh Bonneville. Mentioned in this episode or useful:W1A (British TV Series about the BBC, 2014–2020)W1A Excerpt: BBC Group Activity | W1A  (Hugh Bonneville character says “That's all good” at 3:00)At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Sam Harrington (Grand Central Life & Style, 2018)[B]OLDER S5-EP1: Debbie & Sam Explore Iceland With Two GrandchildrenPrevious episodes featuring Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S4-EP6: Debbie & Sam on Entering the Land of the OldS3-EP22: Debbie & Sam on Getting Calm and Centered in BajaS3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 Get the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDER:Subscribe to Debbie's newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get her 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners.  Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie Weil talks to friend and exceptional writing teacher Clementina Esposito about memoir, the difficulty of sharing ugly truths, and why making meaning through writing matters. Clementina is founder of the Clementina Collective, a collaborative created to help entrepreneurs and visionary leaders advance their causes and their careers through writing and speaking. In Clementina's words: "No one writes alone, everyone values the power of a well-told story, and ugly truths become beautiful in the end.” Debbie met Clementina a half dozen years ago when Clementina coached her in a public speaking program. They've been friends ever since.They discuss the importance of reading aloud - of performing - what you've written and how maybe that should be a  goal instead of publication. Reading out loud builds community and intimacy. They also talk about the difficulty and challenge of finding your voice and speaking your truth and sharing it with others – especially if you think it's an ugly truth. And they conclude by agreeing that anyone can be a writer. Even if you doubt yourself, sharing your writing is how you make meaning of your life... and help your readers do the same.  Mentioned in this episode:About ClementinaClementina CollectiveClementina on LinkedInClementina's BlogIsland Women Speak (the women's storytelling event created by Debbie)"Why I didn't drive off the bridge" (the talk Clementina worked with Debbie on) Debbie's recommended books about memoir writing:The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr (Harper Perennial, 2016)The Memoir Project by Marion Roach Smith (Grand Central Publishing, 2011)Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg (Shambala Anniversary Edition, 2016) Get the inside skinny on every episode of [B]OLDER:Subscribe to Debbie's newsletter for the inside story about every episode. You will also get her 34-page writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Request from Debbie:If you've been enjoying the podcast, please take a moment to leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It really makes a difference in attracting new listeners. Connect with Debbie:debbieweil.com[B]OLDER podcastEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comBlog: Gap Year After SixtyFacebook: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilTwitter: @debbieweil Our Media Partners:CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)MEA and with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple PodcastsSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

[B]older is back for season 5. And we're back at it: unraveling what it means to make the most of growing older.Each episode is a frank 30-minute conversation with a best-selling author, expert, or exceptional individual on a topic related to aging. For host Debbie Weil, 70, it's a real-time exploration of growing old. But don't worry; she's not embracing old age just yet. She's still (boldly) figuring things out. She asks the hard questions about how to use this later stage of life to create, to find meaning, and to make a difference. In the podcast Debbie delves into all the current  topics related to aging: the unretired life, reinventing work, slowing down, aging better, ageism, living your purpose, grownup gap years, grandparenting, intergenerational collaboration, effects of the pandemic, grief and widowhood, surviving cancer, and more. As well as other stuff that piques her interest; for example, the craft of writing. Her husband, physician author Sam Harrington, is a popular recurring guest. The Debbie & Sam shows feature his dry humor and medical expertise. Join us for another great season diving into what it means to be growing [b]older! Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie Media PartnersEncore.orgMEA with thanks to Chip ConleyNext For Me (formerly a media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell) Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie Weil brings her husband Sam Harrington back on the show for a dose of his dry humor and to wrap up Season 4.Sam shares some of his favorite episodes (see below) and they discuss several topics in the news: Medical Aid In Dying and the 100-year life. If you've listened to Sam in previous episodes, you can probably guess what he thinks about living to 100. Sam is a retired physician; friends and family affectionately call him Dr. Death.They also talk about grandparenting and what you can expect from Season 5. Sam's favorite episodes from Season 4[B]OLDER S4-EP13: Nicholas Christakis With a 2022 COVID Update[B]OLDER S4-EP2: Emily Moore on Becoming a Cancer Survivor at age 43[B]OLDER S4-EP16: Bestselling Author Dan Pink on the Power of Regret at any Age[B]OLDER S4-EP17: Dr. Bree Johnston on Psychedelic Therapy to Ease Fear of Death  Mentioned in this episode:S4-EP19: Paula Span on Ageism, Journalism, and the Art of GrandparentingApollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis MD PhD (Little, Brown Spark; 2021)At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington MD (Grand Central Life & Style; 2018)Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live by Becca Levy PhD (​​William Morrow; 2022)Betty White Reveals Her Secrets to a Long, Happy Life (People Magazine, December 28, 2021)Podcast - The 100 Year Lifestyle  Previous episodes featuring host Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S4-EP6: Debbie & Sam on Entering the Land of the OldS3-EP22: Debbie & Sam on Getting Calm and Centered in BajaS3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie We are looking for a sponsor or to join a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks to writer and novelist Hilma Wolitzer, age 92. She's just published a new book of short stories titled "Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket." So yes, this is someone who is "making the most of growing older."Hilma's stories of sharply observed domestic life were published in the Saturday Evening Post and Esquire in the 1960s and 1970s. She has taught writing at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, NYU, and Columbia. She's also the author of nine novels and the recipient of national awards and fellowships.Her husband of almost 70 years died of COVID in the first months of the pandemic. It was as if he vanished, she told Debbie.She and her husband Morty both got Covid in April of 2020. They were taken to separate hospitals in New York City.She never got to say good-bye.He died two days before she was released from the hospital and went home to her apartment.As she tells Debbie on the podcast:"There were his slippers next to the bed. There was a pair of his drugstore eyeglasses. He seemed to have vanished and that was the sense I tried to depict in (the final) story (of her new book). Disappearance rather than dying." She was encouraged to write through her grief, and to write this story and add it to a new collection, by her daughters: New York Times bestselling novelist Meg Wolitzer and artist Nancy Wolitzer.She titled the new story, "The Great Escape." It is as diamond sharp and perfect - and funny - as her earlier writing. There's even sex.  Hilma tells it all in this conversation:What her writing process isWhy she writes about ordinary domestic lifeWhy and how she wrote through griefWhat it was like, over 50 years ago, to be a woman and a writer and not be taken seriously Mentioned in this episode or useful:HilmaWolitzer.comWikipediaTwitterThe Great Escape is Hilma‘s final short story in her new collection, Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket (Bloomsbury Publishing; 2021)Hilma is mentioned in the first sentence: One Million (New York Times, May 13, 2022)Hilma's daughter Nancy WolitzerHilma's daughter Meg WolitzerHow Hilma Wolitzer Came Back From Covid Tragedy To Publish Her First Book In 8 Years—At The Age Of 91 (Forbes, Oct 22, 2021)Author Hilma Wolitzer lost her husband to COVID-19. So at 91, she wrote a story about it (LA Times, Aug. 26, 2021)Iris MurdochMaxine Kumin Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie speaks with Paula Span, a veteran journalist and the author since 2009 of the New York Times' column, The New Old Age. The column explores, as the Times' puts it, “the unprecedented challenges posed by a rapidly aging population.” That's a pretty broad topic so Paula covers everything from the cost of growing older, to social security for same sex couples, to stubborn aging parents, to the evolving status of medical aid in dying (MAID), formerly known as death with dignity. In 2017, after becoming a grandmother, she added a second Times column, Generation Grandparent. She's adapted those essays for her audiobook “The Bubbe Diaries,” released by Audible in 2021.She's also a revered professor of journalism, having taught at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism for over two decades. She is the author of “When the Time Comes: Families with Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions,” published by Hachette.She and Debbie talk about how she explores the topic of pernicious ageism for the Times - not with personal opinion - but with research and data and expert interviews. Each of her columns get a huge response with readers leaving as many as 500 comments.  They talk about her approach to writing as a freelance journalist (always say YES, she tells Debbie, no matter what the assignment is). And they talk about her artful approach to grandparenting. She lives in Montclair, N.J., and travels to Brooklyn once a week to care for her granddaughter.This is an intriguing behind-the-scenes peak at writing for the Times from a veteran journalist. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Paula Span - WebsiteThe New Old Age, Paula's column for The New York TimesGeneration Grandparent, Paula's occasional column for The New York TimesThe Bubbe Diaries by Paula Span (Audible, 2021)When the Time Comes: Families with Aging Parents Share Their Struggles and Solutions by Paula Span (Hachette, 2009)Paula Span at Columbia Journalism SchoolTallying the Cost of Growing Older by Paula Span (The New York Times, October 3, 2021)For Terminal Patients, the Barrier to Aid in Dying Could be a State Line (The New York Times, Nov. 13, 2021)Sally TannenBreaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live by Becca Levy PhD (William Morrow, 2022)Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen (Random House Trade Paperbacks; Reprint edition 2020)Jane E. Brody - The New York TimesThanks, Jane Brody, for Nudging Us to Be Better by Tara Parker-Pope (The New York Times, February 24, 2022)Richard Eisenberg Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie Weil talks to A'Lelia Bundles: her college classmate and friend of almost 50 years. A'Lelia, or LeLe, as her friends call her, is an award-winning journalist, author, historian, biographer, speaker and nonprofit leader. She speaks at conferences, colleges, and corporations about entrepreneurship, philanthropy, historic preservation, financial literacy and women's and African American history. She calls herself a truth seeker. She's also distinguished by her warm and humorous style. It's infectious, as you'll hear.She and Debbie are both members of the Harvard/Radcliffe class of 1974. (Another notable member of their class is Merrick Garland,  United States Attorney General.)A'lelia is the great-great granddaughter of Madam C.J. Walker, the 19th century hair-care entrepreneur, activist, and philanthropist, and the first black woman millionaire in America. She is the author of On Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C.J. Walker, a New York Times Notable Book and the definitive biography of her trailblazing great-great grandmother. Self Made, the fictional Netflix series starring Octavia Spencer, is "inspired by" (although not factually based upon) her biography. A'lelia is at work on her fifth book, The Joy Goddess of Harlem: A'Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance, about her great-grandmother whose parties, arts patronage and travels helped define the era. A former network television news executive and producer at ABC News and NBC News, she is a vice chair emerita of Columbia University's Board of Trustees and chair emerita of the board of the National Archives Foundation. She is the founder of the Madam Walker Family Archives, the largest private collection of Walker documents, photographs and memorabilia.Debbie and A'Lelia talk about not retiring, the pain of writing a book, and the importance of community and friends - especially the women in their college class. They discuss the legacy she wants to leave behind as a black woman and what she is looking forward to as she turns 70. Mentioned in this episode or useful:BioWikipediaWebsiteMadam C.J. Walker websiteTwitterInstagramOn Her Own Ground: The Life and Times of Madam C. J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles (Scribner Media Tie-In edition; 2020)Netflix series: Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. WalkerMADAM by Madame C.J. Walker,, a new hair care line inspired by Madam C. J. Walker​​Harvard/Radcliffe's Schlesinger LibraryOctavia SpencerThe Inner Work of Age by Connie Zweig, PhD (on the topic of inner ageism) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks with Dr. Bree Johnston, a geriatrician and a palliative care physician who is also certified in psychedelic therapies.In case you haven't noticed, the topic of psychedelic therapy has gone mainstream in the past several years. Taking a guided psilocybin trip is now viewed as a highly effective way to ease fear of dying. But it's complicated. It took Debbie several months to find just the right person to interview about the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. Her research led her to Dr. Bree Johnston who is perfectly credentialed for this topic as well as being a notably clear and wise teacher for [B]OLDER podcast listeners. She's been a practicing physician for 35 years and recently became certified in Psychedelic Therapies and Research through the California Institute of Integral Studies.They talk about:- The problem of legality (she predicts psilocybin therapy will be legal in a few years)- Why psychedelic therapy is especially useful for older, dying patients- Her own psychonaut experiences- The dissolution of "self" and becoming part of a whole (a common experience on a psychedelic trip)- The current studies being done at Johns Hopkins and NYU- Microdosing- And her evaluation of which psychedelic therapies are currently most useful: psilocybin, MDMA (aka ecstasy), ketamine (not illegal but results can vary widely).They also explore the complexity that comes with medicalizing psychedelics as well as the ethics surrounding legalization.  This is a highly informative conversation with a knowledgeable physician. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Dr. Bree Johnston on LinkedInThe Trip Treatment by Michael Pollan (The New Yorker; February 5, 2015)How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan (Penguin Press; 2018)The Pied Piper of Psychedelic Toads by Kimon de Greef (The New Yorker; March 21, 2022)Berkeley Center for the Science of PsychedelicsPsychedelic Therapy Training Certificate | California Institute of Integral StudiesThe Microdose NewsletterNew York Magazine Investigative Podcast: Cover Story: Power TripJohns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness ResearchCenter for Psychedelic Medicine | NYUA Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life by Ayelet Waldman (Knopf; 2017)Brian Anderson - Studies at UCSFSacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences by William Richards (Columbia University Press; 2015)Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies - MAPSMAPS NewsletterHandbook of Medical Hallucinogens by Charles Grob and Jim Grigsby (The Guilford Press; 2021)Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbieWe are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEASupport this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie talks with five-time New York Times bestselling author Dan Pink about his latest book: The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. His books have been translated into 42 languages and have sold millions of copies around the world. She met Dan many years ago when she lived in DC and has been a fan ever since she read his first book, Free Agent Nation. That book was one of the first to legitimize solopreneurs and to predict the revolution in the workplace.The premise of his new book is that while many people (especially Americans) proclaim "I have no regrets!" that statement is wrongheaded and, as Dan delights in pointing out, simply not true. We all have regrets and regret is a valuable emotion that can lead us to better understand ourselves and even to live our lives differently.The book is partially based on the results of Dan's World Regret Survey. He read through 15,000 replies from 100+ countries and deduced that there are really only four core regrets.Foundational (If only I'd done the work... )Boldness (If only I'd taken the chance... )Moral (If only I'd done the right thing... )Connection (If only I'd reached out... )Debbie went into this episode thinking that "regret" has a special resonance for those past midlife who may be reflecting on what lies behind them - or what DOESN'T lie behind them - because they didn't do it.But Dan is pretty clear that regretting an inaction - what he defines as a Boldness regret - can come at any age. And that it's never too late to do something about it.Debbie reveals one of her biggest regrets to Dan and he offers some on-air therapy for how she should deal with it.They also talk about Dan's "failure resumé" and what he learned from it.This is an entertaining and informative episode. But it doesn't cover everything in Dan's new book. Be sure to pick up your own copy to learn more about self-disclosing, self-compassion, and self-distancing when it comes to your own regrets; when to "undo" something you did in the past; and the importance of maintaining connections with friends.Mentioned in this episode or useful:DanPink.comThe Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Dan Pink (Random House 2022)Dare to Lead (Brené Brown's podcast): Brené With Dan Pink on the Power of RegretA 2-minute preview of his new book (a Pinkcast)World Regret SurveyAll Dan's books: When, To Sell Is Human, Drive, A Whole New Mind, Johnny Bunko, Free Agent Nation@DanielPink on TwitterTHE PINKCASTSubscribe to Dan's newsletterDerek SiversBittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain (Crown 2022)The Happiness Curve: Why Life Gets Better After 50 by Jonathan Rauch (Thomas Dunne Books 2018)Alfred NobelThe Moral Bucket List by David Brooks (The New York Times, April 11, 2015) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbieWe are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEASupport this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie talks to Suzanne Carmichael about navigating a new phase of her life as a widow at age 78.Becoming a widow is one of Debbie's greatest fears. But it is a reality for many married women after age 65. She invited Suzanne, a new friend in coastal Maine, on the show to learn more about how she is handling the experience.Suzanne's husband Don passed away in August of 2020 after what she calls a 46-year love affair. The early stages of grief were awful, she tells us. But then she realized she still had a lot of energy and wanted to do something with it. Thus was born her blog, titled Aging Fearlessly. Suzanne has also created a new nonprofit, Maine Widows in Action, to support and educate widows who want to be change agents in their communities and beyond. It's a perfect match for her background as a retired public interest attorney.This is a nuanced conversation about loneliness, pain, bravery, opportunity, and practicality.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Aging Fearlessly blogMaine Widows in ActionReimagining ‘widowhood' in the 21st CenturyCraftsman creates works of art that help people walk about Don Carmichael's cane making (Ellsworth American 2018)'Aging Fearlessly' blog tackles interesting topics for seniors (NewsCenter Maine) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie hands over the mic to her producer, Julie-Roxane Krikorian, for a deep dive on the conversations we need to have with ourselves and our loved ones about old age and dying. Together, they unpack the difference between theory and practice when it comes to these emotionally-loaded conversations. They talk about the challenges of becoming weaker and more vulnerable as our bodies decline, and the flipping of the dynamics of care between parents and children at the end of life.They discuss the difficulty of giving space to our aging parents all the while trying to support them with practical help. They also talk about a reframe from weakening to softening and how to become elders who lead the way into the unknown of aging and dying.Debbie shares her personal journey with this topic as a daughter, a big sister of four, and a mother of three. She even reveals what her “dream death” is. This is a real and honest account of Debbie's experiences and, we believe, a useful conversation to anyone navigating the complex waters of aging parents and aging ourselves.Don't worry, there's plenty of humor.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:S4-EP5: Debbie and Julie-Roxane Dissect How Reinventing Your Life Really WorksS3-EP25: Debbie Weil on Turning 70, Mortality, and Making the Most of Growing OlderThe FAR OUT Podcast: Julie-Roxane's podcast with her husband Alasdair Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbie We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie Weil brings Nicholas Christakis back on the show  for an update on all things COVID. Their conversation one year ago was one of the most popular episodes of Season 3. Nicholas is a Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale. He's a physician, a sociologist, and a public health expert and he's the bestselling author of several books, including, most recently, Apollo's Arrow, about the coronavirus pandemic. The book is out in paperback, with a new Preface and a new Afterword. Debbie wanted to ask Nicholas where are we now with the COVID-19 pandemic, where are we going, and what does this all mean in an historical context.She could listen to Nicholas all day as he weaves together the history, the science, the epidemiology, the psychology and the sociology of pandemics, or plagues as he calls them. Not surprisingly, he's an in-demand expert for commentary about the coronavirus pandemic. Vaccines were widely available when the two spoke a year ago. Debbie, like many others, thought that meant the beginning of the end of the pandemic. Not quite, Nicholas said at the time. He was spot on in his predictions, saying that not until 2024 would the pandemic be behind us. A year later, he says we are finally through phase one of the pandemic. He expects we'll reach herd immunity several months from now.He and Debbie discuss Long COVID, whether we should still be wearing masks, the continuing importance of getting thrice vaccinated, what metric to pay the most attention to (number of deaths per day),  addressing disinformation around this pandemic, and more. He notes that historically there has been a confluence of disasters associated with plagues, including war, famine, and climate change.When the war against Ukraine erupted, he was astounded but also not surprised. World War I accompanied the 1918 pandemic. This time, Ukraine and climate change are the accompanying global disasters.Nicholas ends by reminding us that plagues are not rare and may continue to become more present in our lifetime – but that we have the tools and technology to get through them.Tune in for a fascinating conversation about where we are now with the COVID pandemic. About Nicholas ChristakisWikipediaTwitterYale UniversityTed TalksHuman Nature Lab at YaleMentioned in this episode or useful:New paperback edition: Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas Christakis (Little, Brown Spark, Oct. 2021) [B]OLDER S3-EP21: Nicholas Christakis on How the Pandemic Will Affect Your Life Until 2024 COVID Will Reshape Humanity (interview with Amanpour & Co., Dec. 21, 2021)  Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.comDebbieWe are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEASupport this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCreditsHost: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today Debbie speaks with Bradley Schurman about the megatrend of an aging population, both in the U.S. and globally. Bradley is a demographic futurist and the author of a provocative new book: The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny.The aging of our population represents the intersection of two other megatrends: decreased birth rates and increased longevity. The numbers are staggering: By 2030, one out of five Americans will be over 65. To put it another way, In the next two years the number of those 65 and over, in the U.S., will be equal to those under 18. So what does this mean? Well it's complicated. Obviously it means that society needs to adapt and to change. But Debbie's question to Bradley is, will it - and how long will it take? There are so many interrelated factors.In his book he talks about the economy (the impact on social security and medicare and more), societal attitudes (meaning ageism), workplace policies, lifetime education and training, housing, geography (urban vs. rural), advertising and marketing, and the startling inequities in longevity between the well off and the poor and between races.In their conversation they focus on the workplace and the changes that will have to happen in order for businesses and the economy to thrive. Bradley is an incorrigible optimist, as you'll hear, and Debbie so very much wants to believe him. In his future scenario older workers will be welcomed into the workforce well past retirement age, both society and government will change how older people are viewed and treated, and older people will move from the sidelines where they are now, often seen as expendable and not useful, to center stage. Bradley says this can happen in a decade. Debbie is skeptical about how fast we'll see change. Lots to think about in this conversation and in Bradley's new book.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:The Super Age: Decoding our Demographic Destiny by Bradley Schurman ‎(Harper Business 2022)Why  Boomers May Be the Answer to the Big Quit by Bradley Schurman (Newsweek, Feb. 16, 2022)Bradley on Twitter The Super Age™About — The Super Age™Betty WhiteIris Apfel Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks to Richard Eisenberg, a veteran journalist and author who has covered careers and personal finance for 40+ years. Richard recently "unretired," as he puts it, from his 10-year run as managing editor of Next Avenue, the comprehensive online news source for Boomer and Gen X Americans.As a journalist, he's made it his mission to cover money, work and purpose in a way that is useful and practical and lessens readers' stress. Debbie wondered how he would apply this approach to his own next chapter. Not surprisingly, he has a pragmatic plan for how to put together the pieces of "what's next” for himself.He tells us that his unretired life will include some work - writing and editing - but as a freelance. He also wants to mentor, travel, and spend more time with his sons on the West Coast. That's the plan so far but how it will all fit together is yet to be seen.And that's a little scary.No matter.  As you'll hear, Richard is okay with taking small steps and experimenting to find the right balance. In other words, he is practicing what he's been preaching to readers for decades. Debbie agrees with much of what Richard says so there's not much drama in this episode but it's a lovely and relaxed conversation.He and Debbie talk about the persistence of ageism in our society and the deeply entrenched “decline” narrative. And they delve into what has become a new meme: the 100-year-life and what it means from a policy and financial perspective. Richard reminds Debbie that health-span is a better concept than age span. Mentioned in this episode or useful:BioNext AvenueTwitterPodcast: Friends Talk Money  Richard's new "Unretired" column for Market WatchI left my job at age 65 and I don't want to retire -- what's next? by Richard Eisenberg, Marketwatch, February 16 2022  Selection of Richard's articles for Next AvenueNext Avenue's Managing Editor Says Goodbye — But Not Farewell (Next Avenue, January 4, 2022)Overcoming Unconscious Age Bias: An Expert's Advice (Next Avenue, November 23, 2021)Sorry, Nobody Wants Your Parents' Stuff (Next Avenue, February 9, 2017)My Mom's Lasting Legacy (Next Avenue, September 6, 2012)Blue Zones, Part 1: How the World's Oldest People Make Their Money Last (Next Avenue, April 2, 2019)Blue Zones, Part 2: How the World's Oldest People in Asia and Europe Make Their Money Last (Next Avenue, April 9, 2019)How the Oldest People in America's Blue Zone Make Their Money Last (Next Avenue, April 16, 2019) BooksThe Money Book of Personal Finance by Richard Eisenberg (‎Warner Books 1998)How to Avoid a Mid-life Financial Crisis by Richard Eisenberg (‎Penguin Books 1988)  Also mentioned:[B]OLDER S4-EP6: Debbie & Sam on Entering the Land of the Old: Plans & Challenges For Their Eighth DecadeThe Big Middle Podcast with Susan FloryThe Honeymoon Phase of Retirement (Hartford Funds, December 24 2020)Century Lives - at Stanford Center for Longevity podcastLife is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at any Age by Bruce Feiler (Penguin Books 2021)Retirement Stepping Stones: Find Meaning, Live with Purpose, and Leave a Legacy by Tony Hixon (‎River Grove Books 2021) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks with Suzanne Watkins, a friend she met in Baja, Mexico in 2019.  After years working a typical 9-5 in the travel industry where she helped others plan their adventures, Suzanne experienced a health crisis that led her very close to death. That experience, she said, taught her very tangibly that she is mortal, and now was the time for her to live her dreams. She applied for flight attendant positions at age 60 in an attempt to radically reinvent her life and work. The rest is history!Together Debbie and Suzanne talk about her process waking up and making a real change, how it worked for her getting a new job at age 60 having no prior experience and the brutally hard bootcamp she had to attend to get trained for the job. Suzanne tells us about the joys, the experiences and the challenges of this new life; and we end with her advice for those thinking about reinventing themselves. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Omni Air InternationalGetting Your Wings at 60 by Suzanne Watkins (Wisdom Well)Trazedone as a sleep aidNote from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com Debbie We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEASupport this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie brings Carl Honoré on the show for a conversation about the slow movement and about aging and ageism.Carl has a book titled BOLDER: Making the Most of Our Longer Lives so Debbie's first question is whether he minds if she uses the word as the new name for the podcast.Carl says It's absolutely fine to use [B]OLDER. (Book titles can't be copyrighted.) As he puts it, the more fire power we can aim at the "ageist industrial complex," the better. We'll continue doing our part on this podcast.Carl is a bestselling author and speaker and is considered the voice of the Slow Movement as well as a spokesman for anti-ageism. His two TED Talks, on the Power of Slow and the Power of Aging have racked up millions of views.His first book, In Praise of Slowness, makes the point that slowing down is a better way to approach life. As he puts it: "to connect more, create more, focus more and achieve more." He's also written a book about slow parenting.Bolder, his more recent book, was inspired by an incident on the ice hockey rink when he realized, after scoring the winning goal, that he was the oldest member of the team. That struck a chord with him (he was in his 40s at the time) and he realized he needed to reexamine his ageist assumptions about himself, as well as society's assumptions about aging.They talk about:- How Carl moved from slowness to aging as a focus of his work. The connection is "drilling down to the stuff that really matters and focussing on that," as he puts it.  - Whether the Slow Movement has really caught on in the past two decades. Carl says it has; Debbie is a bit more skeptical.- Why ageism is still difficult to root out. They discuss how changing our language around aging is hard (but we should keep trying!). And why we should consider the practice of contemplating death… lightly, as a way to remember to enjoy the here and now. This is a wonderful conversation with a highly articulate author and thinker on the topics of slowness and aging. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Note: The subtitle of the American edition of Carl Honoré's book is: How to Age Better and Feel Better About Aging.CarlHonoré.comIn Praise of Slow: Challenging the Cult of Speed by Carl Honoré (HarperOne; 2005)Bolder: Making the Most of our Longer Lives by Carl Honoré (Simon & Schuster UK; 2019)30 Days To Slow (2020 workbook that accompanies In Praise of Slowness)Carl Honoré: the Power of Slow | TED TalkCarl Honoré: the Power of Aging | TED TalkCarl Honoré on BBC Radio 4: Ending AgeismCan you think yourself young? by David Robson (The Guardian, Jan. 2, 2022)Bolder: making the most of our longer lives Carl's workshop at MEA in Baja, MX (Jan. 31 - Feb. 5, 2022) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Subscribers often print it out to save.  Connect with me:Website: debbieweil.comTwitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thebolderpodcast@gmail.com We are looking for a sponsor or a podcast networkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie talks to legendary business author and speaker Tom Peters.  And if you're wondering why she's interviewing a business management guru, it's because Tom exemplifies the new name of the podcast: [B]OLDER. I.e. getting bolder as you grow older. Tom is the co-author of In Search of Excellence, which was published 40 years ago and is considered one of the most influential business books ever written. The book makes the argument that excellent companies treat their employees with respect. They put people first. That was a more unusual perspective four decades ago than it is now.Tom is known for his brash delivery and has been happily haranguing audiences and readers for decades with his philosophy of people first.  In 2017 he received the Thinkers50 Lifetime Achievement Award. He also coined the term Personal Branding.And he's not stopping, even as he turns 80.In this conversation, he reflects on excellence and teamwork; passion, outrage and why they are the most important quality in a good speaker; his love for research and data and the concept of compassionomics. He also gets personal, opening up about his childhood and his mother's influence and reiterating why he is not done yet.He's as fanatical as ever and you'll hear Debbie occasionally interrupting or trying to interrupt him in this conversation. Not something Debbie normally does but Tom's Director of Programs, Shelley Dolley, encouraged her to do so. His most recent book, Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism,  is more relevant now than ever with its emphasis on creating a humane workplace. It's his eighteenth book and it may be his last, he tells Debbie. Much of his written and speech material is available—free to download—at tompeters.com and excellencenow.com.Enjoy a spirited and wide-ranging conversation with a legendary thinker.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:TomPeters.comTom Peters on TwitterIn Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman (​​Harper Business; Reprint edition 2006)Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism by Tom Peters (Networlding Publishing, March 2021)Complete listing of Tom's booksThe Brand Called You by Tom Peters (Fast Company, August 31 1997)Tom Peters remembers Bob Waterman (who died Jan. 2, 2022)Debbie's Cool Friends interview with Tom Peters (2008)Susan Sargent (married to Tom Peters)Rebecca Eaton - Masterpiece TheaterMcKinsey & CoThe Firm: The Story of McKinsey and Its Secret Influence on American Business by Duff McDonald (​​Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition 2014)The Golden Passport: Harvard Business School, the Limits of Capitalism, and the Moral Failure of the MBA Elite by Duff McDonald (Harper Business; Reprint edition 2017)Tickled: A Commonsense Guide to the Present Moment by Duff McDonald (Harper; 2021)Dopesick (TV Mini Series 2021)Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe (Doubleday; 2021)Should Women Rule? (The Atlantic, November 2008)Compassionomics - The WebsiteCompassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference by Stephen Trzeciack and Anthony Mazzarelli (Studer Group; 2019)Amazon.com: The Social Psychology of Organizing by Karl E. Weick (McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages; 1979)Thomas Keneally, the Australian writer Tom has been enjoying recently Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- DebbieWe Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEASupport this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or SpotifyCredits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

This is the last episode before we take a podcasting break for the holidays. See you back here in January 2022!  And yes, we're trying out a new name. The focus of the podcast has become broader than the topic of “taking a gap year.” So the new name is [B]OLDER: Making the most of growing older. In other words, boldly reinventing life and work at midlife and beyond. Debbie is always on the lookout for guests who can lend a new perspective to the concept of time and our perception of how much of it we have. So when she read Oliver Burkeman's new book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, she knew he had to come on the show. Plus the book is terrific and it's getting lots of notice.The first sentence is “The average human life span is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” In other words, about 4,000 weeks.Oliver is a British author and journalist who wrote a popular weekly column, This Column Will Change Your Life, for The Guardian for over a decade. He has reported from London, Washington and New York and recently moved with his wife and son from Brooklyn, NY back to Yorkshire in the UK to be near his family. He has established himself as a tongue-in-cheek expert on productivity and time management and how that does - or does not - lead to happiness. He sums up his new book very nicely in his Twitter profile: explaining that 4,000 Weeks is about embracing limitation and finally getting round to what matters. As he's 46, he's only lived about 2,400 of those 4,000 weeks himself but he tells Debbie in this episode  that he may be getting closer to a better relationship with time.Debbie and Oliver talk about time and self-worth, why we are so future-oriented, the connection between time and happiness, and why it might be okay that we use social media as a distraction. Oliver is a contrarian thinker but he's truly interested in how to build a meaningful life. Debbie had a number of aha moments in this conversation and listeners will too! Mentioned in this episode or useful:Oliver Burkeman's website@oliverburkeman on TwitterFour Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021)The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman (Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Reprint edition, 2013)This Column Will Change Your Life (The Guardian, 2006 - 2020)Jung on the Provisional Life (Jungian Center for the Spiritual Sciences)Who is Marie-Louise von Franz? (David C. Hamilton, Jungian Psychoanalyst, IAAP)Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2008)What is Flow in Psychology? (PositivePsychology.com, November 25 2021)Understanding Nonlinear Time (The Four Winds, November 27 2018)Chronos vs Kairos: How Ancient Greeks Saw Time (McKinley Valentine, November 3 2020)Telic vs atelic activities, and the meaning of life (Philosophy as a Way of Life, September 27 2019)Midlife: A Philosophical Guide by Kieran Setiya (Princeton University Press, 2017)Kieran Setiya Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a Sponsor or Podcast NetworkIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Yup, it's Debbie's 70th birthday today.She's been chewing this milestone over for months, knowing that turning 70 means entering the land of the old.Time is running out so fast. How many more good years does she have left before entering the land of the old, old? Realistically, at 70, she's got 10 to 15 good years of active living left. A sobering thought.She invites her husband Sam back on the show to talk about their bucket lists for this eighth decade. She and Sam both turned 70 this year. They share some of their projects for the coming decade, from getting a puppy (Debbie's idea, so far not shared by Sam), to traveling again (they hope), to how they plan to deal with their own old, old age. They also discuss the idea of being challenged and the difference between challenges and accomplishments. Mentioned in this episode or useful:At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life by Samuel Harrington MD (Grand Central Life & Style 2018)Debbie and Sam's blog: Gap Year After SixtyIsland Nursing Home on Deer Isle, MEgoop (a modern lifestyle brand)Piece of Cake (Debbie's cousin's company: the best iced cakes!)La  Réunion (island in the Indian Ocean)Definition of an intentional community  Related episodes:S4-EP4: Aging Options: Skylar Skikos on Intergenerational and Regenerative CommunitiesS3-EP24: Steven Petrow on the Stupid Things He Won't Do When He Gets OldS3-EP25: Debbie Weil on Turning 70, Mortality, and Making the Most of Growing Older Previous episodes featuring host Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S3-EP22: Debbie & Sam on Getting Calm and Centered in BajaS3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62  Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie  We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.  Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast website Music:Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie brings her producer Julie-Roxane back on the show. Or rather, the opposite. Julie-Roxane takes control of the mic to interview Debbie about her experiences of reinventing her life, starting at age 14 and continuing up to the present as she turns 70. Together they explore what life reinvention really means and how it works.It's not that Debbie is a perfect model for life reinvention. Rather, what emerges in their conversation is a surprising life pattern. Why would a shy teen embrace an adventure in another country? What makes someone radically change course in a career?What does personality type have to do with a propensity for reinvention? Mentioned in this episode or useful:The Corporate Blogging Book by Debbie Weil (Penguin Portfolio, 2006)Season 2, Episode 6: Debbie's Story: What Happens When You Connect the Dots BackwardSeason  3, Episode 20: Jeff Hamaoui on Navigating the Messy Middle of TransitionsSeason 3, Episode 25: Debbie Weil on Turning 70, Mortality, and Making the Most of Growing OlderJulie-Roxane's podcast with her husband: FAR OUT #148 ~ Going our Separate WaysMarriage needs tending just like a base camp (Deseret News, March 15, 1992)The Road Less Traveled, Timeless Edition: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck (Anniversary Edition, Touchstone, 2003)Network Solutions (home of Debbie's brief corporate career) Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide. Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast website Music:Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

One of the things Debbie is starting to think about is where and how she and her husband Sam might want to live as they get older - a lot older than their current 70. Like many Boomers, they are repelled by the idea of a retirement community.This week on the podcast she turns to Skylar Skikos to learn about new options. Skylar, 40, is a philosopher at heart and a financier by trade. He's a real estate developer and investor who specializes in hospitality and senior care and he's Chief Development Officer of Modern Elder Academy in Baja, MX. You've heard Debbie talk before about MEA, the world's first midlife wisdom school. Skylar is fascinated with how to create places that help people flourish, particularly as they age. He thinks there's something missing from age-segregated communities and Debbie couldn't agree more. She wants to run screaming when she sees glossy ads for age 55+ retirement communities like The Villages in Florida because... who wants to live only with old people where the focus is solely on recreation and having fun?This episode is her first attempt to start unpacking the topic of where and how older people can live where they can be part of a mixed-age community, still contributing and living productively, and avoid the loneliness and isolation that many of us associate with retirement communities. Debbie and Skylar talk about several alternatives. One is intergenerational housing that mixes age groups. A number of intergenerational developments are underway right now in different parts of the U.S. They also talk about something called Regenerative Communities, a concept being pioneered by MEA. Skylar joined MEA to help them develop a collection of Regenerative Communities, each of which will include mixed-age residents, a midlife wisdom school where you explore how to grow and thrive in the latter stages of life, and a surrounding regenerative farm. The first Regenerative Community being developed in the U.S. is outside Sante Fe, NM. Debbie and Sam are so intrigued with this concept and are hoping that MEA will turn its sights towards the East Coast, which is closer to home and family for them. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE OR USEFUL: Skylar Skikos on LinkedInNavigating the Youth-Midlife Divide: Musings Approaching a 40th Birthday by Skylar Skikos (Wisdom Well, Nov. 2, 2021)Modern Elder AcademyMEA | Regenerative CommunitiesDon't Mind the Gap in Intergenerational Housing by Karrie Jacobs (New York Times, Sept. 2, 2021)New Model of Active  Adult Senior Living Is Coming to the Austin Area  (Cantina)Cantina CommunityRight Place, Right Time: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a Home for the Second Half of Life by Ryan Frederick (‎Johns Hopkins University Press 2021)The Villages (Your Retirement Adventure Starts Here)Public philosopher Tom MorrisSerenbe (a wellness community near Atlanta) NOTE FROM DEBBIEIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. MEDIA PARTNERSNext For MeEncore.orgMEA SUPPORT THIS PODCASTLeave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify CREDITSHost: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks with Richard Leider about aging with purpose, the fallacy of "finding" your purpose, and how to practice daily. Richard is considered a pioneer of the global purpose movement. Yes, the "purpose movement" is a thing. The topic of  finding meaning and purpose has come up repeatedly on this podcast.  It's key to a life well-lived, we've been told. But how DO you live a life of purpose? Are there any shortcuts or secrets? That's what Debbie wanted to find out from Richard.Richard Leider is the author of 11 books, many of which have been bestsellers, and recently co-authored the book "Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging." He's very much on the right path for himself. At 77, he's working, writing, and still, happily, honing his own purpose. Together, they talk about the idea of purpose in elder hood, and why it is crucial to longevity. They discuss purpose as a verb: it's not something you find but it's something you “do” via purposeful living. Richard shares his story of a profound encounter with author and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl in 1968 and how that unlocked his lifelong fascination with purpose.They also get into what he calls in his book the Ultimate Conversation - the one about death that you should have with your family but also with yourself. And Richard shares what he does everyday to practice being purposeful. This might be the secret, if there is one. This is a great conversation with a man who is truly living what he talks and writes about. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Who Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old?: The Path of Purposeful Aging by Richard Leider and David Shapiro (Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2021)Repacking Your Bags: Lighten Your Load for the Good Life by Richard Leider and David Shapiro (‎ Berrett-Koehler Publishers 2012)Global Purpose Movement Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (Beacon Press 2006)Parker J. PalmerThe Way It Is by William StaffordPassages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life by Gail Sheehy (Bantam 1977)  Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.  Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie  We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil.  Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA  Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify  Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie brings her 43-year-old niece, Emily Moore, onto the podcast to talk about life and death and her recent grueling course of chemotherapy to eradicate breast cancer.Emily teaches English at Stuyvesant, one of Manhattan's competitive-entry public high schools. She's also a published poet (one of her poems was published in The New Yorker), and has a PhD in English. She lives in Brooklyn with her wife and two young children.Debbie asks Emily what it was like to, unexpectedly, be forced to stare death in the face in her early 40s. Those of us beyond midlife are (supposedly) starting to wrap our minds around the hard stop of death. But Emily doesn't really answer because it turns out it was the wrong question.Instead she speaks eloquently about how much energy she's put into fighting for life (she calls it putting on her "game face" despite how horrific the chemotherapy was) and how vulnerable she now feels and how that has changed her.She also talks about how she'll never be "okay" again, meaning that things won't ever really return to the way they were before her cancer diagnosis. And she compares it to our collective wish to go back to the pre-pandemic "normal" of 2019 and how that probably won't happen.Tune in to a powerful episode to listen to Emily's lilting voice and positive take on her experience. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Braving Chemo: What to Expect, How to Prepare and How to Get Through It by Beverly A. Zavaleta MD (Sugar Plum Press 2019)CaringBridge: Personal Health Journals for Any ConditionEmily in performance with Ménage at Twang - Lady SenatorsEmily's poem in the New Yorker: Auld Lang Syne AULD LANG SYNEBy Emily MooreApril 7, 2008Here's to the rock star with the crooked teeth,the cellist, banker, mezzo bearing gifts,the teacher with the flask inside her jeans—those girls who made us sweat and lick our lips.To the jeune fille who broke my heart in France,the tramp who warmed your lap and licked your ear,the one who bought me shots at 2 a.m.that night I tied your pink tie at the bar.Who smoked. Who locked you out. Who kissed my eyesthen pulled my hair and left me for a boy.The girl who bit my upper, inner thigh.My raspy laugh when I first heard your voicetoasting through broken kisses sloppy drunk:To women! To abundance! To enough! Published in the print edition of the April 14, 2008 New Yorker. Reprinted with permission. Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter for the inside story about each episode of the podcast and to get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck LakeEmily Moore photo credit: Allison Stock

Welcome back to The Gap Year Podcast!Today, Debbie Weil brings author, entrepreneur, and renowned business thinker Dorie Clark on the show, a perfect way to kick off Season 4.Dorie is a 42-year-old business consultant whose life and work resonate strongly with Debbie.  She was a Philosophy major in college, graduated from Harvard Divinity school, worked as a journalist (something Debbie did for two decades) and was a presidential campaign spokesperson. Then, in a very intentional way, over a period of eleven years, she became a highly respected business author and speaker. Dorie is on the Thinkers50 list, the top 50 business thinkers in the world, and has just published her fourth book: THE LONG GAME: HOW TO BE A LONG-TERM THINKER IN A SHORT-TERM WORLD. She now teaches at Duke and Columbia's business schools and consults with clients like Google and Microsoft and the World Bank.But - and this is the part that applies to midlife reinvention - it took repeated rejection along the way for her to get to where she is today. She tells us those stories and more in THE LONG GAME. Her new book is aimed at a mid-career business audience but Debbie was struck over and over, as she read it, how Dorie's approach applies to life and work after 60 or 65 or 70.Dorie is also a documentary filmmaker, a Broadway investor, and a trained musical theatre lyricist and composer.She writes in THE LONG GAME about creating white space in your calendar, meaning give yourself unstructured time to think “differently” and to explore and experiment. She also talks about optimizing for meaning (instead of for money, usually the default) and optimizing for interesting: follow your curiosity even if you don't know exactly where that will take you. Wow, she could be writing a script for a grown-up gap year and for optimizing a post-career, non-retired chapter of life - the focus of this podcast.Needless to say, Dorie is also a huge proponent of trying new things even if they are way outside your current area of expertise.This is a great conversation full of useful nuggets about how to think long-term and why that matters. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Dorie's bioThe Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World by Dorie Clark (‎ Harvard Business Review Press 2021)The Long Game Self-AssessmentThinkers50Dorie's other books: Entrepreneurial You, Reinventing You, and Stand OutDorie's most popular course: Recognized ExpertMarshall Goldsmith and his booksSam Horn's Year by the Water  Note from DebbieIf you've been enjoying the podcast, please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than two minutes and it really makes a difference. It makes me feel loved and it also attracts new listeners.Subscribe to my newsletter and get my free writing guide: https://bitly.com/debbie-free-guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck LakePhoto credit: Mark Thompson

Debbie Weil is interviewed by her producer Julie-Roxane Krikorian about turning 70, mortality, productivity, her halting efforts to age gracefully, and Season 4 of The Gap Year Podcast.This is the last episode of Season 3. We'll be back in the fall with Season 4!As a way to finish this season on a special note, Debbie turns the mic over to her producer, Julie-Roxane.JR gets Debbie to reveal her ambivalent feelings about turning 70  and how she can't shake ageist thoughts about growing old. They talk about mortality and what her priorities are for the decades - well, maybe two decades - to come.  At almost 70, Debbie figures she's got 15 - 20 years of good time left. They talk about what “good time” means and how the definition of productivity might change in your 70s and 80s.If you've been listening for a while, you know that one of the broad topics of the podcast is aging with acceptance, wisdom, and grace. So the dirty secret is out. Debbie is not a model, yet, for how to do this.  It's still aspirational. She continues to work on a more positive mindset as she looks ahead, as well as a more intentional way of living. In other words,  "making the most of growing older."  That will be the underlying theme of Season 4.Thank you so much for listening and participating in Season 3 of The Gap Year Podcast. We'll see you back here, in the fall, for Season 4. Mentioned in this episode or useful:About DebbieIsland Women Speak, Debbie's intergenerational women's storytelling event in Stonington, MaineThe FAR OUT Podcast, Julie-Roxane's podcast co-hosted with her husband Alasdair PlambeckThe Tim Ferriss ShowSebastian Junger — Seeking Freedom, Near-Death Experiences, and Reordering Your Place in the World (#513), The Tim Ferriss Show (May 11, 2021)Freedom by Sebastian Junger (Simon & Schuster 2021) Note from DebbieI hope you are enjoying this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks with with Steven Petrow about his new book, Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old: A Highly Judgmental, Unapologetically Honest Accounting of All the Things Our Elders Are Doing Wrong. Publication day is June 29, 2021 but you can pre-order. The title says it all, as does the list of 43 stupid things to avoid which is offered in a series of bite-size chapters. Steven is an award-winning journalist and author who is best known for his Washington Post and New York Times essays on aging, health, and LGBTQ issues. Debbie has been following his work for a while and when she heard about his new book on old age she jumped on getting him onto the show.We've all had a lot of time to think about life - and death - during this pandemic gap year and old age is starting to get personal for Debbie (she turns 70 this year). She figured Steven's humorous approach to the topic would make it easier to get into a substantive discussion about getting old. It did and you'll find this conversation goes surprisingly deep. The book covers lighter topics like:Why you won't color your hairWhy you won't avoid looking at yourself naked in the mirrorWhy you won't lie about your age (even on dating apps)Why you won't hoard those little jam packets (and otherwise collect clutter)Why you won't tell your life story when someone says, "How are you"Why you  won't become a miserable curmudgeonDebbie and Steven talk about harder stuff.  When does old age actually start? The looming uncertainty of how many years - how many good years - you have left? How to make that time count?They also talk about things no one wants to talk about (like decreased libido, not wanting to use a walker, and the "smell" of old people). And they talk about how to have the hard conversations with elderly parents. You know the ones: “Maybe you shouldn't be driving anymore” or “Maybe it's time to think about getting more care at home” or “What kind of memorial service do you want?”Steven offers candid and funny answers for how to address the indignities and challenges of old age whether you are encountering them through family members and friends, or for yourself. This is a fun, easy listen. Mentioned in this episode or useful:StevenPetrow.comTwitterFacebookStupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old: A Highly Judgmental, Unapologetically Honest Accounting of All the Things Our Elders Are Doing Wrong by Steven Petrow (Citadel Press 2021)Steven Petrow's Complete Gay and Lesbian Manners (Workman Publishing, 2011)Things I'll Do Differently When I'm Old by Steven Petrow(New York Times, December 5, 2017)Steven's columns for The New York Times on cancer, vanity, and healthSteven's essays for the Washington Post on civility, aging, and LGBTQ issuesSteven's recent columns for USA TodaySteven's TED talk: 3 ways to practice civilityA New Way to Age: The Most Cutting-Edge Advances in Antiaging by Suzanne Somers (Gallery Books 2020) Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We are looking for a sponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple Podcasts: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Today, Debbie talks to good friend and bestselling author Thomas E. Ricks about writing.  This episode will appeal to listeners even if you're not a word nerd or have writing a book at the top of your bucket list.Tom is a military history columnist for the New York Times and author of seven books, the last five of which have been New York Times bestsellers. His best known book is "Fiasco: the American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2003 - 2005," which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007.  His most recent book, published in November 2020, is "First Principles: What America's Founders Learned From the Greeks and Romans, and How That Shaped Our Country."He was a war correspondent and a member of Pulitzer Prize-winning teams covering the military for both the Wall Street Journal (2000) and the Washington Post (2002).  As Debbie puts it, he's the "real deal" when it comes to writing serious books. Tom is currently working on his eighth book, a military appreciation of the Civil Rights Movement. Tom and his wife Mary Kay, also an author, are Debbie's good friends and neighbors in Maine.Today, they talk about what drives Tom to write: is it for money, for recognition, to win another Pulitzer prize, to connect with his readers, the writing itself? His answer is a good one.  They address the big questions: how long does it take him to write a book, how does he choose his topics, what is his  advice for would-be book writers, and more.  Debbie and Tom also get into the nitty gritty of his writing process. He takes us through a day in the life of Tom Ricks which includes bringing tea to Mary Kay in the morning and making lunch most days for the two of them. Despite how prolific he is, Tom does not write for 8 hours a day. He is witty and passionate on the topic of writing, as well as being honest and revealing, and this is a wonderful conversation. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Thomas E. Ricks bioFiasco:  the American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin, 2006)The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin 2013)Churchill & Orwell: The Fight for Freedom by Thomas E. Ricks (Penguin 2017)First Principles: What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country by Thomas E. Ricks (Harper 2020)Tom's 28 appearances on C-Span (videos) In and Out of Time in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks (The New Yorker, December 5, 2014)The Secret Life of a Book Manuscript by Thomas E. Ricks (The Atlantic, August 22, 2017)How to write a damn book by Thomas E. Ricks (Foreign Policy, May 8, 2014)Escape on the Pearl: the Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad by Mary Kay Ricks (William Morrow, 2007) The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White (Pearson, 4th edition, 1999)Politics and the English Language by George Orwell (Orwell Foundation)Blue Hill Public Library in Blue Hill, Maine Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!My newsletter: sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We Are Looking For a Sponsor for Season 4If you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on Apple/iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie Weil brings her husband, Sam Harrington, back onto the show. A retired physician, Sam is NOT a  believer in midlife-crisis camps nor in navel gazing, which is what he told family and friends Debbie was dragging him across the country to do. But somehow, after both of them were twice vaccinated, Debbie persuaded Sam to get on a plane and fly to Mexico’s Baja Sur. Their destination: Modern Elder Academy.If you've been listening to the podcast, you've heard about MEA.  You could call MEA a wellness retreat. It’s idyllic: simple accommodations overlook the crashing waves of a broad mile-long beach.  Birdsong fills the air, water trickles from fountains, and bright Bougainvillea blooms everywhere. An organic garden produces wonderful meals and a dusty dirt road leads to the nearest village.But MEA is more than a wellness retreat. It’s also a school - and a community - of like-minded people. MEA tends to attract open-minded individuals from their 30s to 70s, who are on a quest to define "what's next” in their lives and who are willing to think differently about aging. Guests can attend structured discussions, there’s time for journal writing and reflection, and there are meditation and yoga classes. Debbie and Sam talk about a few of the topics that were on offer during their two-week stay, including the difference between growth vs. fixed mindsets (you can guess which one is preferable) and something called appreciative inquiry which is an expansive way of both listening and asking questions. Sam ultimately admits that he IS feeling calm and centered.  Mentioned in this episode or useful:Modern Elder AcademyEl Pescadero, Baja California SurNavigating Midlife Transitions, MEA’s Online ProgramS3-EP20: Jeff Hamaoui on Navigating the Messy Middle of TransitionsS1-EP6: Chip Conley on Growing Wise at Modern Elder Academy (Modern Elders, Part 1)S1-EP7: Four Different Decades on Transition and Reinvention (Modern Elders, Part 2) Previous episodes featuring host Debbie Weil and her husband Sam Harrington:S3-EP16: Debbie & Sam on Fasting For Five Days and Why They Were Crazy Enough to Do ItS2-EP24: Debbie & Sam on the Gap Year For Everyone, Silver Linings, and Not Should'ingS2-EP18: Debbie & Sam on the New Normal, Quarantines, Immunity Passports, and Masks & GlovesS2-EP12: Debbie & Sam on the Coronavirus, Magical Thinking, and AgingS1-EP10: On Debbie & Sam's Bucket List: Living in FranceS1-EP2: Debbie & Sam on How They Decided to Take a Gap Year at Age 62 A gift for listeners: a Baja meditation soundtrackDebbie created a 20-minute meditation soundtrack (with help from producer Julie-Roxane) from the distinctive Baja birdsong and trickling water she heard every morning before meditation practice. Download the soundtrack. Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode! Newsletter:Sign up for updates and get my free writing guide.Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: Gap Year After SixtyEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We are looking for a sponsor or partnerIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

When will the Covid 19 pandemic end? That’s the question on everyone’s mind. Today Debbie talks to one person who just might have an answer to that question. Nicholas Christakis is a nationally-recognized expert in three fields: medicine, sociology and public health. He’s a distinguished Sterling Professor at Yale, a researcher on the topics of social networks and human goodness, and a bestselling author, most recently, of Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live.He’s been named to TIME magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. His fluency in explaining the science, epidemiology, psychology, sociology and history of pandemics makes this a fascinating conversation. Plus he’s got a good sense of humor:You’ll hear why he chose to publish Apollo’s Arrow last fall, midway through the COVID 19 pandemic, before we knew the end of the storyHow his childhood experiences with illness and death affected his career choicesWhat the predictable three phases of a pandemic are (HINT: we're still in the immediate phase)Why he thinks this pandemic won’t be over until 2024They also talked about separating the biological vs. the psychological impacts of the pandemicWhat herd immunity actually means and whether we’ll get thereAnd what the public health messaging around the pandemic should beDebbie asks him point blank: when is the next pandemic? The answer is unnerving - sooner than you might think. But they end on a positive note: plagues historically bring loss, grief, confusion, and misinformation. But they also reveal cooperative and generous behavior, the best of humankind. About Nicholas ChristakisWikipediaTwitterYale UniversityTed TalksHuman Nature Lab at YalePhoto Credit: Evan Mann Books by Nicholas ChristakisApollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas Christakis (Little, Brown Spark 2020)Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society by Nicholas Christakis (Little, Brown Spark 2019)Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholas Christakis (Little, Brown Spark 2009)Death Foretold: Prophecy and Prognosis in Medical Care by Nicholas Christakis (University of Chicago Press, 2001) Articles and interviewsA year of COVID: Making sense of an ‘alien and unnatural’ time (Yale News, March 4, 2021)Epidemiologist looks to the past to predict second post-pandemic 'roaring 20s' (The Guardian, December 21, 2020)Denial And Lies Are 'Almost An Intrinsic Part Of An Epidemic,' Doctor Says (NPR, October 29, 2020)The pandemic is as much about society, leaders, and values as it is about a pathogen (Science Mag, November 17, 2020)The New York Times Book Review: The Pandemic's Future — and Ours (NYT Book Review, November 3, 2020)The Importance of Being Little: What Young Children Really Need from Grownups by Erika Christakis (Penguin Books 2016)Remote Learning Isn't the Only Problem With School (The Atlantic, December 2020)The COVID-19 Pandemic and the $16 Trillion Virus by Larry H. Summers, PhD and David M. Cutler, PhD (October 12, 2020) Mentioned or usefulThe Plague by Albert Camus (1947)What Is R-naught? Gauging Contagious Infections (Healthline, April 20, 2020)What is Epidemiology?What is Sociology? Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Connect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: https://gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com NewsletterSign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide. - Debbie We Are Looking For a SponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife, and older, listeners, contact Debbie Weil. Our Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA How to Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Debbie talks with Jeff Hamaoui, Modern Elder Academy Co-founder and Chief Education and Innovation Officer, about getting through the "messy middle" of this pandemic transition year as we all wonder what comes next.If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while you’ve heard her mention MEA and you might have heard her interviews with founder Chip Conley. You'll recall that she's been to this remarkably beautiful and healing place in Baja California, Mexico. MEA is a program, or an academy, where you focus on re-thinking what it means to get older and  how to become a wise, or modern, elder.This winter Debbie joined MEA’s online program, Navigating Midlife Transitions. She felt acutely that she needed time and space to reflect on - and make sense of - this pandemic “gap” year. And that she needed to do it with a group of like-minded individuals. Jeff’s guidance through the program  was truly provocative. So she called him to dive a little deeper.Aren’t we all, this year, in the middle of a transition that isn’t complete yet? Jeff, and others who have studied transitions (most notably William Bridges), call this the "messy middle." It’s a period that’s not easy, or comfortable, to get through. The old has ended but the new has not yet started or at least it’s not clear what the new will be. And not just for society but for each of us individually.Debbie and Jeff talk about:Why Jeff's interest in transitionsWhat is a modern elderThe anatomy of a transitionThe concept of messy middles and how to get through themWhy a growth mindset is importantPattern interruption - why you need to go to a place to rethink aging and midlifeAt the end of the episode, listen for the sound of birdsong and water trickling from a fountain as Debbie reports back from a recent visit to the MEA campus in Baja with her husband Sam. Mentioned in this episode or useful:Jeff Hamaoui Co-founder of MEAModern Elder AcademyChip Conley Founder of MEAChristine Sperber Co-founder of MEAKari Henley Director, MEA OnlineNavigating Midlife Transitions, MEA’s Online Program (enrollment open now)Personal Values Online TestWisdom at Work: the Making of a Modern Elder by Chip Conley (Currency 2018)Managing Transitions, 25th Anniversary Edition by William Bridges and Susan Bridges (Da Capo Lifelong Books 2017)Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck (Ballantine Books 2007)The Gap Year Podcast S1 – Ep. 6: Chip Conley on Growing Wise at Modern Elder Academy (Modern Elders, Part 1)The Gap Year Podcast S1 – Ep. 7: Four Different Decades on Transition and Reinvention (Modern Elders, Part 2)El Pescadero, Baja California Sur Note from DebbieI hope you enjoyed this podcast. Would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than sixty seconds, and it really makes a difference in attracting new listeners and upcoming guests. I might read your review on my next episode!Sign up for occasional updates and get my free writing guide at http://eepurl.com/qGTPConnect with me:Twitter: @debbieweilInstagram: @debbieweilFacebook: @debbieweilLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/debbieweilBlog: gapyearaftersixty.comEmail: thegapyearpodcast@gmail.com- Debbie We are looking for a sponsorIf you are interested in reaching a smart and thoughtful audience of midlife listeners, with a bent towards growth and possibility, contact Debbie Weil. Media PartnersNext For MeEncore.orgMEA Support this podcast:Leave a review on iTunes: it will help us find a sponsor! If you are interested, contact Debbie WeilSubscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify Credits:Host: Debbie WeilProducer: Far Out MediaPodcast websiteMusic: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake